Could Zac Stacy be the next Emmitt Smith?

Zac Stacy will be a quality find for a team. I've slotted him with a fifth-round grade, but could see him going slightly earlier to a team that likes all that he brings.

He finished his career as Vanderbilt's all-time leading rusher and put up back-to-back 1,000-yard seasons in 2011 and 2012 without the benefit of a single offensive lineman to be named first- or second-team All-SEC in either of those seasons.

And he averaged 5.9 and 5.5 yards per carry while doing it. Add in a 4.55 clocking in the 40-yard dash at the combine and you have a prospect who is worth a long look.

Vanderbilt hasn't had a running back selected in the draft since Frank Mordica in the ninth round of the 1980 draft, so Stacy has more than a little history working against him. He has shown some big-play pop in a conference with the nation's fastest defenders as well with runs of 86 and 90 yards this past season.

My personal favorite looking at his work was a touchdown run against Kentucky in 2011 when he essentially carried seven defenders into the endzone to close out the play.

He's thrown some passes in the Vanderbilt offense, did some kickoff and punt return work over the course of his career as well, so has also shown some versatility along the way.

Runs hard, but also takes some hits as he consistently battles for the extra yards. He missed three games with a concussion in 2010 and has dealt with a sprained knee that year to go with an ankle injury in '09.

At 5-8 3/8, 216 pounds, Stacy is not quite the big back the Broncos would, in a perfect draft, like to add to their offense. But he runs hard inside and doesn't waste time once he has the ball.
Ha Ha Denver, he's ours now!

Rice and Smith Inductions a Reminder of the Limits of 40 Times
By TONI MONKOVIC

As Hall of Famers, Emmitt Smith Jerry and Rice represent a rebuke to the stopwatches and tape measures that are wielded every year at the combine and pre-draft pro days.

Their induction into the NFL Hall of Fame was a victory for those who evaluate players by watching games or by watching tapes of those games.

Smith and Rice fell out of the top 15 in their drafts primarily because of concerns about their speed (also in Smith’s case, his size). Smith went 17th and Rice 16th, and it was a testament to the smarts of the men running the drafts of the Cowboys (Jimmy Johnson) and the ***** (Bill Walsh) that the teams traded up to get each player.

Emmitt Smith became a Dallas Cowboy for a simple reason: He couldn’t run. He was too small, measuring 5-foot-8 and weighing 190 pounds. He was too slow, having run 40 yards in 4.55 seconds during his Pro Day at Florida. Emmitt ran 4.8 at the NFL Combine.

Smith and Rice weren’t the fastest guys for their positions, but they were the most driven, the most ambitious, the most competitive.

I am really looking forward to seeing what Stacy can bring to the Rams ..

Re: Could Zac Stacy be the next Emmitt Smith?

We shouldn't get ahead of ourselves before Zac plays a down in an NFL game, but I've started to see articles on Bleacher Report that have Stacy as an under-the-radar guy who could make the starting line-up. It's easy to get giddy in May, but RB is one of those positions where players come from mid-late rounds of the draft and turn into stars. I sure hope we have one.

Admittedly, the concussion concerns me a bit, but we have a good medical staff that will check him out fully before he ever hits the field. I like that he's a smart player, because smart players are disciplined and they don't get unnecessary penalties.

Something I haven't seen talked about much on the site is the fact that we were the most or one of the most penalized teams in the league last year. That has got to change and given the players we're adding via FA and the draft, I think it will. But alas, I'm straying.

Re: Could Zac Stacy be the next Emmitt Smith?

Originally Posted by laram0

These premature "guesses" crack me up!

I could be the next Wilt Chamberlin if I was only 9 inches taller and had a darker complexion.

So glad to furnish some levity there Laram0. No one knows how well our rookies will do at the next level, that's for sure. The only reason I started this thread was after reading up on Stacy, and watching his highlight stuff I came across an old article on Emmitt Smith, and noticed the startling similarity in their height, weight (Emmitt 5'9" 216 lbs - Zac 5'8 & 5/8ths" 216lbs) and relatively slow 40 times. Both were very productive in college.

Emmitt Smith was one of the greatest running backs in NFL history, and to imply that Stacy will duplicate Smith's incredible career at this point is obviously premature. That said, one never knows which unheralded player will rise out of obscurity and shine. At least Zac won't have to grow 9 inches and change the color of his complexion.

Re: Could Zac Stacy be the next Emmitt Smith?

Originally Posted by MauiRam

So glad to furnish some levity there Laram0. No one knows how well our rookies will do at the next level, that's for sure. The only reason I started this thread was after reading up on Stacy, and watching his highlight stuff I came across an old article on Emmitt Smith, and noticed the startling similarity in their height, weight (Emmitt 5'9" 216 lbs - Zac 5'8 & 5/8ths" 216lbs) and relatively slow 40 times. Both were very productive in college.

Emmitt Smith was one of the greatest running backs in NFL history, and to imply that Stacy will duplicate Smith's incredible career at this point is obviously premature. That said, one never knows which unheralded player will rise out of obscurity and shine. At least Zac won't have to grow 9 inches and change the color of his complexion.